Tarnished Steel
by Kairan1979
Summary: Astro City Vol.2 #14-20. Events of Steeljack's ark from different POV's.
1. Warden

**Title**: Tarnished Steel  
**Fandom**: Astro City  
**Disclaimer**: i own nothing Astro City related.

**Summary**: Astro City Vol.2 #14-20. Steeljack from different POV's.

**1. Biro Island Warden.**

He is sitting in front of me.

Carl Donewicz. Steeljack. Because Steel-Jacketed Man is a bit too long, don't you think? Technically he could be called The Man of Steel, but Donewicz has nothing of Superman's virtues.

Not exactly a big league player. He is just a thug with superpowers. Tough, but stupid. Cannon fodder for guys like Deacon.

Well, he wasn't so tough in 78', when Cleopatra struck him by lighting. Eventually Steeljack landed here. For twenty years. It could be longer, but the man was almost a model prisoner, so the parole board decided to give him a chance.

Just a waste of time, if somebody ask me. But the rules are rules.

So he is sitting in front of me. I'm giving him the usual speech about "won't be seeing you again". I think it's as boring as "you have the right to keep silence" for cops. His reply is as standard as my speech. **"I'm gonna do my best to make sure I don't wind up here".**

He sounds as he really believes in it. Maybe he really believes. Too bad his illusions are short-lived. The world isn't nice for ex-cons. Especially for surer-ex-cons. He's got no wife or kids to return to. No work – and he'll never find one, with his appearance and infamy. No home. No money.

Steeljack just has no choice. Crime is the only option left for the likes of him.

Robberies, assaults, – and the inevitable collision with superheroes. And he'll return to jail.

It's just a question of time.

Believe me, some things never change.


	2. Red Queen

**2. Red Queen.**

When I ordered Chessmen to kill the Mock Turtle, I was furious. He unknowingly crumpled my empire. For the piece of &# like Clever Dick. So I wanted his head. Literally.

I felt somewhat relieved. No more pretending. No more innocent fairy princess Lucia.

Too bad I couldn't use his brains anymore.

Maybe I made a mistake, playing this game for too long. Maybe I could tell Marty. I'm sure he'd easily find a place for Red Queen in his personal Narnia. He could be my right hand, the most loyal knight. Hell, he could be happy, storing dragons' heads on the steps of my throne.

It's too late to think about it now. I couldn't return Chessmen even if I wanted to. It's time to forget that he ever existed and start rebuilding my empire.

I spent a few days looking for ways to minimize damages, when a new portion of bad news arrived.

"Your Majesty…"

Bishop. Of all the Chessmen he was the only one who returned. His armor is severely damaged.

What the hell happened? Mock Turtle surely couldn't defeat all of them… could he?

"Your Majesty, it's not my fault!"

"Tell me everything. And then I'll decide whose fault is it!"

"We followed him, as you ordered. At last we cornered him in Astro City".

Astro City. Of course, I've heard about it. Newspapers called this city "world capital of masks". I'd never become Red Queen in such a place. It's not like I'm a small fish, but the pond is too large.

"So?"

"But it was an ambush, Your Majesty! We were ready to finish him off, but all of a sudden they started shooting at us!"

"WHO started shooting?"

"Locals, I guess. Mock Turtle must have contacted them somehow, and then lured us in a trap! We were outnumbered, somebody scrambled our teleporters. Their leader was a colossus of living steel. He… just look, what he did to my armor, Your Majesty!"

"But you managed to escape? Or…" He wanted to lie, but was too scared of me to do it. Good.

"No. He… he let me go. He wanted to send a message. To "my boss", as he said". Bishop gulped, "**We don't like people who come into Kiefer Square and kill our friends. You come back – anyone come back – and we won't stop with just the errand boys**". I'm sorry, My Queen. It's his words. Not mine!"

My anger was stronger than ever.

He threatened me. ME!

Clever Dick can wait. Right now I wanted to know everything about this steel pain in the ass.

It was easier than I thought. Just a miracle how much you can find in the depths of the Internet. His name was Carl Do-whatever. Codename Steeljack. There was much more about him. Codenames of his accomplices, dates of major crimes, even the fact that he was just out of prison and currently lived on Kiefer Square.

Steeljack was strong as ox, unstoppable as rhino, and as "smart" as they both were. Not a leader.

But I've heard about Kiefer Square before. About a man always associated with this place. **Donnelly Fergusson. **Man who was never caught or even suspected. I find it hardly to believe that such a clever man just "makes connections". Nice excuse if he ever gets caught. I guess everybody knows the truth, and keep silence about his true role.

Fergusson must be the one who put Steeljack in charge. It makes sense, after all. Steeljack is big, strong and scary. Excellent choice, if you need the enforcer.

Maybe Bishop was wrong? Maybe there were no trap, just a turf war in Astro City, and my Chessmen were caught in the crossfire? Even if I'm right, Marty is already in the webs of the old spider. This blind idiot is probably thinking that a Knight in Shining Armor came to rescue him. Ha! They were just marking the territory, that's all.

I must decide what to do. I can still try to avenge the Mock Turtle for ruining my plans. And to add Steeljack to my Avenging List too - for threatening me.

But should I put what's left of my empire at risk like this? I know exactly what the Mock Turtle can do, so I have no doubts that I could destroy him… if only he was alone. Steeljack is powerful; he knocked out half of the Honor Guard before they captured him. But he uses fists instead of brains, so I can outsmart him.

Attacking Steeljack is like attacking Fergusson himself. And I'm smart enough not to try something against the old man. I doubt I can outwit him, and I don't have enough firepower on my side. Fergusson already proved it to me, taking care of Chessmen.

Mock Turtle is too soft to come back for me. But Steeljack isn't soft in any sense of the word. And his threats weren't empty. If I don't want him to go all the way from Astro City to kill me, I'd better leave the Mock Turtle alone. No matter how much I hate it.

_Enjoy your victory, Steeljack! We'll meet again later. On MY terms, not yours!_


End file.
